Bless Us, Everyone

Few books are embedded in American culture like A Christmas Carol, the classic Charles Dickens novel about Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. A whopping 168 years after it was first published, new adaptations of the story appear seemingly annually, with Disney responsible for three big-screen versions featuring the likes of Mickey Mouse, The Muppets and Jim Carrey. The tale’s significance is certainly not lost on the folks at The Dallas Theater Center, who bring back Richard Hellesen’s adaptation for performances at the Kalita Humphreys Theater — one of the final buildings designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. After handing over the keys to a quite capable Matthew Gray last year, longtime director Joel Ferrell returns, and Kurt Rhoads, a DTC company member in the 1980s, plays Scrooge for the first time. Ferrell is well-known among theatergoers, most recently directing Arsenic and Old Lace, Dividing the Estate and Cabaret. Rhoads had the title role in Henry IV and co-starred in Dividing the Estate. A Christmas Carol is the book that made “Bah, humbug!” part of the Christmas vernacular, and performances are from Black Friday until Christmas Eve. Call 214-880-0202 or visit DallasTheaterCenter.org for tickets and more information.
Tuesdays-Sundays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 23, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 24, 12 & 4 p.m. Starts: Nov. 25. Continues through Dec. 23, 2011